Top Water Bait - Buzz Bait

Posted: 7/10/2006

Larry Collins

Now last week we talked about top water baits which seem to work best this time of the year when bugs and such fall into the water the bass come up to feed and will take top water baits presented early in the mornings.

The first top water bait we will discuss is the buzz bait. This bait has from one to two blades at the front followed by a straight shaft then the head of the bait with hook and a skirt. Skirt colors can vary but the most popular are white and chartreuse. In order to keep this bait running properly you must start to retrieve it as soon as it touches the water and keep it moving all the way back to the boat. This bait makes a plop plop sound as it moves across the water which attracts the bass.

The buzz bait comes in several sizes from 1/8th ounce to ½ ounce. Some are have a long shaft and others very short shafts. Some have a small piece of metal that the blade can hit to make additional noise. Some have a rivet that the blade turns on and if you put the bait in front of a fan or hold out the car window going down the road it will wear and cause the blade to make a squeaking noise against the rivet. There are many different types of buzz baits but all will catch fish at the right time so you have to experiment to find just the right one that the bass like.

Some fishermen find a faster retrieve reel is best so you can keep them coming back quick and on top of the water. When you get a hit on buzz bait it can be heart stopping. As with all top water baits but most important with a buzz bait you have to wait for a second or two before you set the hook or you will miss a lot of fish. Note always have a follow up bait handy such as a finesse worm on a slider rig so if the bass misses you can throw quickly to the spot that the fish hit and you will catch some that miss the buzz bait.

If you have never thrown a buzz bait purchase a couple and give them a try it is fun to fish. The prime time to fish them is very early and very late in the day. Till next week I’ve gone fishing.